Transaction details
Director Michael David Cassens of First Busey CORP (NASDAQ: BUSE) sold 750 shares of common stock on February 17, 2026. The shares changed hands at $26.61 apiece, producing gross proceeds of $19,957. The sale was carried out pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan that Cassens adopted on August 15, 2025. After completing this trade, Cassens directly owns 139,523 shares of First Busey.
Market context and valuation
First Busey, a regional bank with a market capitalization reported at $2.29 billion, is trading at $26.14 - slightly under the price at which Cassens executed his sale. InvestingPro analysis cited in company data indicates the stock is trading below its Fair Value and lists a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.74.
Shareholder returns and recent corporate actions
The bank has delivered a 15.86% price return over the past six months. In addition to price appreciation, First Busey has a long history of returning cash to shareholders, having maintained dividend payments for 38 consecutive years and currently offering a yield of 3.95% according to available data. The company recently announced a 4% increase in its quarterly dividend, raising it from $0.25 to $0.26 per share, with the dividend payable on January 30 to shareholders of record on January 23.
Separately, the company expanded its share repurchase program by an additional 4 million shares, bringing the total authorized repurchase amount to 5,454,275 shares. The company indicated it may repurchase shares via open market transactions or through privately negotiated deals.
What this means for investors
The director sale was executed under a pre-established trading plan and represents a modest portion of Cassens' overall holdings. At the same time, First Busey continues to return capital to investors through a combination of dividend increases and an enlarged buyback authorization.
Notes
Investors seeking lists of undervalued dividend stocks can consult the Most Undervalued list referenced in available InvestingPro data.